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War Against Shadow
The War Against Shadow was the first major conflict in Rokugan following the Clan War and the Second Day of Thunder. Beginning Bayushi Aramoro made a deal with Yoritomo in 1131. In exchange for his son, Bayushi Aramasu, Yoritomo would hold the Scorpion lands until their return from their exile to the Burning Sands. Yoritomo Aramasu travelled to Mantis lands bearing maps and secrets so Yoritomo could further his power in the Empire and fulfill his promise to Aramoro. Citing their charter from Toturi I to tax and regent any "unaligned" lands, Yoritomo travelleds to Scorpion lands, but when Yoritomo journeyed he had to be escorted through Crane lands. Doji Kuwanan himself travelled with Yoritomo, but when Yoritomo turned to thank Kuwanan upon arriving in Scorpion lands it became clear Kuwanan had made his own plans, using the Scorpion children adopted by the Crane as an excuse for the rightful ownership of the Scorpion lands. Kuwanan ambushed Yoritomo as soon as they entered Scorpion lands, and Yoritomo was forced to retreat. Kuwanan was unaware of it at the time, but his decisions were based on advisors sent by the Lying Darkness to cause strife in the Empire. This event was widely regarded as the beginning of the War Against Shadow. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 21 Mantis Invasion of Phoenix Lands In 1132 in an effort to expand his power, Yoritomo seized control of the lands of the Phoenix Clan claiming they were too weak to govern them themselves. It was called the Mantis Invasion of the Phoenix lands. Yoritomo hoped to take them quickly, but the Phoenix Clan Champion Shiba Tsukune saw this as an act of war and responded in kind. As the Phoenix were nowhere near ready Yoritomo's sailors slowly mades their way deeper into Phoenix lands. It was later concluded that Yoritomo's actions were based on advice given by shape-shifting minions of the Lying Darkness. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 22 Crane Civil War Driven by the voice of his ancestor, Daidoji Uji broke his troops away from the army of the Crane Clan and attempted to reclaim Shiro no Yojin Lion castle in the name of the Crane. Uji's actions caused a slow divide between the bushi of the Crane Clan, eventually erupting into outright war. The shame and dishonor caused by the conflict eventually caused the Great Sea Spider to wake from its slumber. Uji returned to Kuwanan offering his seppuku. Both put aside their differences. An investigation revealed that shapeshifters were the cause for the miscommunication between the two leaders. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, pp. 22-23 War in the Heavens March to Otosan Uchi Shinjo assembled the combined forces of all the clans and assaulted Otosan Uchi, which had become dark and bleak since the return of Toturi. Takao faced the Champion of the Moon in single combat at Otosan Uchi. Takao reached enlightenment during the battle and defeated the champion breaking the shadow's control over the city. As the Moon's avatar fell, Onnotangu was greatly weakened and it allowed Hitomi to struck him down. Takao became the Master of Five. At the same time the Oracle of Void Isawa Kaede spirited away her husband Toturi, who had been taking away from the Imperial City by Ginawa. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 23 Death of Onnotangu Hitomi determined to challenge Lord Moon, collecting up powerful artifacts born of the power of the moon, making Onnotangu answer for his alliance with the Darkness. Calling Onnotangu down from the Celestial Heavens Hitomi challenged him to personal combat. With the artifacts ans the wisdom of Togashi on her side, Hitomi slew the Moon. Erasing the Memory The Shadows began to destroy Rokugan's connections with its past. Dark Energy (Ambition's Debt flavor) The Ikoma Histories were wiped clean by minions of the Shadow. The kolat had stolen the Tao of Shinsei to preserve it before the Shadows could destroy it. Half of the Tao was recovered through Daidoji Rekai and the other half was presumed lost. Death of Toturi Toturi broke free of the hold the Lying Darkness had over him. In this moment of clarity he realized that if the Darkness took the soul of an Emperor the Empire would be lost also. In a hasty ceremony, he married his fiancee Isawa Kaede. Shortly after Toturi committed seppuku denying the Lying Darkness his soul. Kaede became the Empress, and as the Oracle of Void the Lying Darkness could not touch her. The Clans Unite After the seppuku of Toturi I, the forces of the Empire marshalled together under the leadership of Toturi's general Saigorei to oppose the Lying Darkness, which was undoing all of creation by turning the land of the dead into nothing but a memory. The Towers of the Yogo A Small Price, by Ree Soesbee (Soul of the Empire storyback) Plans within Plans Goju Adorai had been engineered the Empire's reaction. The assembled armies had been gathered deep in the Shadowlands at Volturnum, their ranks being decimated and tainted fighting the minions of the Shadowlands and the Goju. Their souls would be darkened by the fall of Oblivion's Gate and would be one with the Shadow. Rokugan was nearly undefended to protect the Empire from his final assault, and the Goju corrupted the land of the Empire to the north. The Great Sea Spider had been awakened to cover Otosan Uchi with a web of lies and deceit, and the Imperial City would fall to the Shadow. This was Adorai's plan from the beginning and there would be no Empire for them to return to save. A Letter from Goju Utsuei (Imperial Herald v4 #4) End In 1133 the War Against Darkness culminated in the Battle of Oblivion's Gate, where the united Rokugani armies defeated the Lying Darkness and Goju Adorai. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 24 While the assembled armies were in the Shadowlands, the Empire was kept free of minions of the Shadows by the Fox Clan Clan Letter to the Yoritomo's Alliance #10 (Imperial Herald v4 #3) and the Toritaka family. Toritaka Mariko (Soul of the Empire flavor) fouling Adorai's plans. Shadow